The subject matter disclosed herein relates to fuel system adjustments on an engine, and, more specifically, to a control system with a display for adjusting a fuel control valve into specific positions.
An internal combustion engine is an engine where the combustion (i.e. burning) of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer (usually air) in a combustion chamber. In an internal combustion engine, the expansion of high-pressure gas produced by combustion applies a force to a piston, turbine, or other component of the engine. Thus, the internal combustion engine takes chemical energy from combustion and turns it into mechanical energy.
The ratio of fuel and air plays an important role in how the internal combustion engine functions. The air/fuel ratio to combust petrol may be, for instance, roughly 14.7:1, depending on the type and quality of fuel. A rich-burn engine may operate at an air/fuel ratio near that combustion point, such as near 16:1. In contrast, in a lean-burn engine, the engine burns fuel with an excess of air in the internal combustion engine, such as 65:1.
Rich burn engines have the benefits of being relatively simple, reliable, stable, and adapt well to changing loads. A rich burn engine may include a fuel control valve, such as a butterfly valve, that may be used to regulate the flow of air and/or fuel, thereby controlling emissions. Rich burn engines may include a regulator and/or a carburetor. The regulator and/or carburetor may include screws or other controls for setting the butterfly valve into a correct position. Currently, the regulator and/or carburetor adjustments are made at initial commissioning. Additionally, an operator may inappropriately change these adjustments in attempts to fix other problems. In such cases, the adjustments must be reset by a qualified technician to ensure good emissions control performance. However, these adjustments are currently guided by paper manuals and manometer readings which may be difficult to successfully calibrate to the desired operating positions. Moreover, many measurements must be taken, wasting time and resources. Accordingly, a need exists for an improved system of adjusting the fuel control valve to its desired position.